1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for mounting a head on a musical instrument, such as a drum, tambourine, or banjo. More specifically, the apparatus and method of the present invention permit a head to be easily and quickly installed or removed from the shell of the instrument without the necessity of utilizing a clamping or similar means to secure the head to the musical instrument.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of heads for drums, tambourines, banjos, and similar musical instruments have long been known in the art, as well as a variety of apparatus and methods for mounting such heads onto the instrument shell. For example, such heads range from the relatively unsophisticated, namely, the stretching of a piece of paper or fabric over an opening, to the very expensive drumheads used by professional drummers which utilize animal skins as well as advanced synthetic materials and elaborate clamping means to secure the head to the instrument shell and to provide variable tones of the desired quality.
However, the unsophisticated paper-like heads are, in reality, no more than just toys as they are not capable of producing an effective tone of sufficient musical quality, and are generally merely placed over the instrument shell and attached thereto by means of an adhesive or staples, tacks, and the like. Conversely, the heads utilized by professional drummers are not only very expensive, but also utilize an often cumbersome clamping means to secure the head to the instrument shell as well as to keep the head properly tensioned to provide the desired tonal quality. In the case of animal skin heads, a wetting and drying means is required to provide the desired tension. Thus, the replacement of a worn or torn head can be a time-consuming and often frustrating procedure since the clamping means must first be loosened to remove the old head and then subsequently tightened to retain and tension the new head. Many persons, however, desire an apparatus and method of mounting a head on a musical instrument which permits the head to be easily and quickly installed or removed from the instrument shell without the necessity of utilizing the clamping or similar means commonly used to secure the head to the instrument shell.